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Synopsis
The cold north awaits you ... War is coming to Valeron. From the west, the blood-thirsty Wiccans burn and pillage their way towards the capital - where an ill and ineffectual king is beset on all sides by the scheming of ambitious men. His youngest son, Prince Arran, untested in combat and naïve to ways of the world, is sent on a fool's errand - to convince a cowardly lord to honour his oath and defend the realm from its enemies. But the real threat is yet to be revealed ... You are Prince Arran, son of Leonidas and second heir to the throne of Valeron. They call you the ghost prince - the sickly boy who haunts the palace library, filling your head with dreams of high adventure. Now, as the shadows lengthen and danger threatens your beleaguered kingdom, you must finally prove yourself. It is time to take up your hallowed sword, Duran's Heart, and forge your own destiny in a cruel and savage world - one that has no mercy for weakling princes. No happy endings. Will you defy fate and become a great hero of legend? You decide in this epic fantasy adventure - one where you make the decisions. The cold north awaits you ... are you ready for the challenge?
Release date: May 1, 2014
Publisher: Gollancz
Print pages: 712
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The Eye of Winter's Fury
Michael J. Ward
Welcome to DestinyQuest!
‘A new king will come with death for a crown. Cold will be his heart.Cold will be his revenge.’
Blood of Barahar
Unlike ordinary storybooks, DestinyQuest puts you in charge of the action. As you guide your hero through this epic adventure, you will be choosing the dangers that they face, the monsters that they fight and the treasures that they find. Every decision that you make will have an impact on the story and, ultimately, the fate of your hero.
Your choices, your hero
With hundreds of special items to discover in the game, you can completely customise your hero. You can choose their weapons, their armour, their special abilities – even the boots on their feet and the cloak on their back! No two heroes will ever be alike, which means your hero will always be unique to you. And even better, you can take your hero into battle against your friends’ heroes too!
Limitless possibilities, endless adventure
You can play through DestinyQuest multiple times and never have the same adventure twice. With so many options and paths to choose from, the monsters that you encounter, the people that you meet and the loot that you find will be different each time you play. There are numerous hidden secrets to discover, bonus items to collect and unique special abilities to unlock – in fact, every turn of the page could reveal something new for you and your hero.
Discover your destiny . . .
The next few pages will take you through the rules of the game, outlining the hero creation process and the combat and quest system.
Don’t worry, it won’t take long – and then your DestinyQuest adventure can begin!
The hero sheet
Let’s start with one of the most important things in the game – your hero sheet. This is a visual record of your hero’s abilities and equipment. You will be constantly updating this sheet throughout the game, as you train new abilities and find better armour and weapons for your hero. (Note: The hero sheet is also available as a free download from www.destiny-quest.com.)
Attributes
Every hero has five key attributes that determine their strengths and weaknesses. These are speed, brawn, magic, armour and health. The goal of DestinyQuest is to advance your hero from an inexperienced novice into a powerful champion – someone who can stand up to the biggest and baddest of foes and triumph!
To achieve this, you will need to complete the many quests throughout the lands of Valeron. These quests will reward you with new skills and equipment, such as weapons and armour. These will boost your hero’s attributes and give you a better chance of survival when taking on tougher enemies.
The five attributes are:
Starting attributes
Every hero begins their adventures with a zero score for brawn, magic, speed and armour. These attributes will be boosted throughout the course of your adventures. All starting heroes begin with 30 health.
Equipment boxes
The hero sheet displays a number of important boxes. These boxes each represent a location on your hero where they can equip an item. Whenever your hero comes across a new item in the game, you will be told which box or boxes on the sheet you can place it in. You can only have one item equipped in each box.
Backpack
Your hero also has a backpack that can hold five single items. On your travels you will come across many backpack items, including useful potions and quest items. Each backpack item you come across takes up one space in your backpack – even if you have multiple versions of the same type of item (for example, health potions).
Special abilities
The special abilities box, on the right of your sheet, is where you can record notes on your hero’s special abilities. Every hero has two special abilities, which they learn when they train a career. Items of equipment can also grant special abilities for your hero. All special abilities are explained in the glossary at the back of the book.
Paths and careers
Your hero starts their adventure as an untrained novice, with no remarkable skills or abilities. Once your hero has gained some experience, however, three paths will become available to you – the path of the warrior, the rogue and the mage. Your hero can only choose one of these paths, and once that decision is made, it can’t be changed – so choose wisely. The chosen path will determine the careers and abilities that your hero can learn throughout their adventures.
Your hero’s path and current career should always be recorded at the top of your hero sheet, and its special abilities should be recorded in the special abilities box on the right of your sheet. A hero can only be trained in one career at a time, but you can swap their career for another one, providing you have found the relevant trainer or reward item. When your hero trains a new career, all abilities and bonuses from the old career are lost.
Gold
The main currency in Valeron is the gold crown. These can be used to purchase potions and other special items whenever you visit a town, village or camp. More gold can be discovered by killing monsters and completing quests.
Quests and monsters
The kingdom of Valeron is a dangerous place, full of ferocious monsters, wild beasts and deadly magical forces . . . bad news for some people perhaps, but for a would-be adventurer it means plenty of paid work! By vanquishing foes and completing quests, your hero will grow stronger and more powerful, allowing you to take on tougher challenges and discover even greater rewards.
The maps
The story is divided into two chapters – known as ‘Acts’. Each Act has a map, which shows you the locations of all the different quests that your hero can take part in. To select a quest you simply turn to the corresponding numbered entry in the book and read on from there, returning to the map when you have finished.
Choosing quests
Each map will provide you with a number of different quests. Some quests are harder than others. A simple colour-coded system ranks the quests in order of difficulty:
Quests can be done in any order you wish – although note that it is wiser to complete the easier quests (green and orange) before you attempt the harder ones (blue and red). Once a quest has been completed, it cannot be revisited.
Legendary monsters
On each map you will also see some spider symbols. These represent ‘legendary monsters’: opponents that are tougher than your average foe. Only the bravest of heroes, who are confident in their abilities and have good gear from their questing, should seek out and battle these mighty opponents.
Boss monsters
Each Act of the story has a final boss monster that must be defeated before you can advance the story to the next Act. These boss monsters are represented by the skull symbol on the map.
It goes without saying that these final bosses are no pushovers and should only be attempted once you have fully explored each map and completed most of the quests.
Towns, villages and camps
Every Act of the story has its own town, village or camp, which your hero can visit anytime between quests. They are represented on the map by the building icon. Simply turn to the corresponding page entry whenever you wish to visit. These locations can provide your hero with items to purchase, additional quests, hints and tips and even some career trainers.
It is always a good idea to visit these areas first, whenever you start a new map. The inns and taverns can be a great source of rumour and information regarding the challenges ahead.
Upgrading equipment
The primary goal of DestinyQuest is to equip your hero with better weapons, armour and equipment. These will boost your hero’s attributes such as brawn and magic, and help them to survive longer in battle.
At certain times in the story you will be offered a choice of rewards for your hero. Usually this will be the result of killing a monster or completing a quest, but there are also many other ways of gaining rewards – some easier to find than others.
When you are offered a choice of rewards, you will be told how many items you may pick from the selection. It is up to you to decide which reward/s will be best for your hero. These rewards, such as rings, pieces of armour, weapons and necklaces, will commonly give boosts to certain attributes. Select your rewards wisely to boost the attributes that are the most essential for your hero.
When you have chosen your reward, you write its name and details in the corresponding box on your hero sheet. Make sure to update any attributes that are affected by the new reward. Remember, it is your decision what rewards you take. You can always ignore items if they don’t interest you.
Replacing equipment
Your hero can only carry one item in each box. When you choose a reward and your hero already has an item in the corresponding box, the new item replaces the old one – and the old item is destroyed. When you destroy the old item, all attribute bonuses and abilities that it provided are lost, to be replaced by those from the new item.
Combat
Valeron can be a wild and dangerous place. Most of the creatures you encounter will be hostile and it will be up to you (and your hero!) to battle and defeat these monsters, to emerge victorious.
When you enter into combat, you will be given your opponent’s attributes. These are usually speed, brawn (or magic), armour and health. Some may also have special abilities that you will need to take note of.
The combat sequence
Combat consists of a number of combat rounds. In each round of combat you roll dice to determine who hits who and who takes damage. (Note: A die is considered to be a standard 6-sided die.) Once damage
has been applied, a new combat round starts. Combat continues until either your hero or their opponent is defeated.
In each combat round:
Example of combat
Sir Hugo has awoken a slumbering serpent and must now defend himself against its venomous attacks.
Special abilities
Combat round one
Combat round two
Combat then moves to the next round, continuing until one combatant’s health is reduced to zero.
Restoring health and attributes
Once you have defeated an enemy, your hero’s health and any other attributes that have been affected by special attacks or abilities are immediately restored back to their normal values (unless otherwise stated in the text). In the above example, once Sir Hugo has defeated the serpent, he can return his health back to 30 and continue his adventures.
Fighting multiple opponents
In some combats you will be fighting more than one opponent. When faced with multiple opponents, combat follows the same rules as for single combat – the only difference is that, at the start of each combat round, you must choose which opponent you will be attacking. You must then roll against their speed score. If you win the round, you must direct your damage against your chosen opponent (or multiple opponents if you have an ability that lets you do so). If you lose the round, your chosen opponent strikes against you as normal. You must defeat all your opponents to win the combat..
Using special abilities in combat
As your hero progresses through the story, they will discover many special abilities that they can use in combat. All abilities are explained in the glossary at the back of the book.
There are five types of special ability. These are: speed (sp), combat (co), modifier (mo), passive (pa) and death move (dm) abilities.
Damage score and damage dice
Some special abilities will refer to a damage score and others will refer to rolling damage dice. A damage score is when your hero rolls one
die and adds their brawn or magic to the total (as in the previous combat example). This is the most common means of applying damage to your opponent. Some abilities allow you to roll damage dice instead. Damage dice are simply dice that are rolled for damage, but you do not add your brawn or magic score to the total. For example, the special ability cleave allows you to inflict 1 damage die to all your opponents, ignoring armour. You would simply roll 1 die and then deduct the result from each of your opponents’ health. You do not add your brawn or magic to this total.
Using backpack items in combat
The outcome of many a combat can be decided by the clever use of backpack items, such as potions and elixirs. From restoring lost health to boosting your speed, never underestimate how useful these items can be in turning the tide of battle. However, you can only use one backpack item per combat round so choose wisely! Also note that every useable backpack item has a number of charges. Once these have been used up, they are gone forever.
Runes, glyphs, dyes and other special items
During your adventures, you will come across a number of special items that allow you to add attribute bonuses or additional abilities to the equipment you are already wearing. These items cannot be stored in your backpack and must be used immediately when they are found, to add their relevant attribute/ability to a chosen item. Each item of equipment can hold up to three of these special bonuses.
Death is not the end
When your hero dies, their adventure isn’t over. Simply make a note of the entry number where you died and then return to the quest map. Your health is immediately restored back to full, however any consumable items that were used in the combat (such as potions and elixirs) are gone forever!
You can return to the entry number where you died anytime you wish. If you are having difficulty with a particular combat, then try a different quest, or purchase some helpful potions or items from a local vendor.
NOTE: In some quests, when your hero is defeated, there are special rules to follow. You will be given an entry number to turn to, where you can read on to see what happens to your hero.
Taking challenge tests
Occasionally, during your travels, you will be asked to take a challenge by testing one of your attributes (such as speed or brawn). Each challenge is given a number. For example:
To take a challenge, simply roll 2 dice and add your hero’s attribute score to the result. If the total is the same as or higher than the given number, then you have succeeded. For example, if Sir Hugo has a speed of 4 and rolls a and a , then he would have a total of 9. This means he would have successfully completed the above challenge.
Take your adventures online!
Join the DestinyQuest community at www.destiny-quest.com for the latest information on DestinyQuest books, hints and tips, player forums and exclusive downloadable content (including printable hero sheets, team combat rules and extra bonus quests!).
It’s time to begin
Before you start your adventure, don’t forget to check that your hero sheet has been fully updated. It should display:
Now, turn the page to begin your adventure . . .
Prologue:Blood and Betrayal
It wasn’t like the storybooks at all.
Their pages were filled with tales of high adventure – heroes striving against the odds to win fabled treasures or defeat terrible monsters. Not for them the monotony of travel. No one cared about the wearisome ‘getting there’. They skipped the rain and the damp that would freeze you to the bone, torturing you with its incessant drip, drip, drip. The chafing of the saddle, the stink of the horses. The men reeking of wet leather and sweat. The smell of the road.
You glare up at the heavy grey clouds, hanging over you like a shroud. They appear listless. Bored. Failing to deliver the storm that has been brewing for the past seven days. Instead, they spit a despondent shower of drizzle, determined to make your journey as miserable as possible. In that endeavour, they have succeeded.
As has the company.
You glance sideways at the inquisitor, his powerful war horse making your own look like a cart mule. He is a bull of a man, his thick neck corded with veins, his bulging muscles exaggerated by the sculptured plates of white and gold armour. A holy warrior – one of the king’s finest. An upholder of truth and justice. If this was like the stories, he’d probably be handsome too, cutting a dashing figure as he rode bravely to war.
But this wasn’t like the storybooks at all.
He turns to look at you, his ugly puckered scar crinkling as he furrows his brow. ‘You have another question?’ he growls, his disdain for you evident. You flinch under that look, knowing what he sees. A spoilt prince. Pampered by comfort and luxury. A prince adorned in gaudily-coloured silks and velvet, with court-fashion lace at the collar
and sleeves. No armour for you, save for a padded undershirt. Fine if your assailant had a blunted dagger perhaps, but nothing that was going to stop an arrow or a sword.
So much for royal protection. But then, you’re not the one who’d be doing the fighting.
Not like the knights, rattling behind you in their armoured livery, pennants fluttering in the chill wind. Or the king’s own guard, in their mail coats and tabards, iron helms catching the drab pale light. You glance back at Molly, hunched sullenly in the back of the supply cart. Your maid. The woman who has nursed you since birth – since your mother passed away. It is a bitter truth that you have more in common with a frail old woman than your armed escort.
You wince with shame. They couldn’t even trust you to travel without her. A grown man who needs to be looked after by his nursemaid. ‘Molly-coddled’, some of the knights had teased. They had every right to. In their eyes you were not a man, just a weak and sickly boy. It wasn’t fair.
The inquisitor clears his throat. ‘Well?’
You look back at the giant warrior. A veteran of a hundred campaigns. He has seen war in all its grim and nightmarish glory. He has lived it for real, not second-hand through the pages of a book or a bard’s whimsical yarn.
‘You were at Talanost when it fell, weren’t you?’ It is a question that has been nagging you for days. The books were still being written of the epic battle between the city’s militia and an invading army of demons and monsters. The shadow legion. If anyone was going to tell it as it was, it would be Inquisitor Hort. He was there. On the front lines. ‘Is it true that a Nevarin, one of their own, betrayed the legion?’
The warrior’s jaw sets hard. He regards you with his usual steely glare – the one you can never hold. You lower your eyes back to the saddle, water dripping off the curls of your fringe. ‘I’m sorry. I understand you wouldn’t want to talk about it.’
Your cheeks flush as you surrender yourself once again to the rhythm of the road, the rattle of harness and the clump of hooves in mud. It has been another long day of travel and every muscle knows it, knotting in protest as you lurch and bounce in the saddle. Tiredly, you reach for your pouch, knowing that its stash of medicines will help to ease the suffering. By accident, your hand brushes against your
sword hilt. You instinctively snatch it back, the enchanted steel burning cold against your skin.
Even the stupid sword hates me.
It had been a gift for your thirteenth birthday. A rare and exquisite weapon, its clawed pommel of blue steel clasped around a heart-shaped diamond. Alone, the gemstone is worth thousands – enough to buy a fleet of ships, a royal palace, a whole army . . . But even that pales into insignificance next to the rest of its craftsmanship. The blade is the finest Assay steel, flame-hardened and etched with a hundred lines of scripture. It was the last blade to be inscribed by Abbot Duran before he passed away, each holy letter draining the last of his fragile health. Duran’s Heart, they called it. Some say it was his finest work. His last work. A mighty sword fit for a mighty hero.
Not a spoilt prince.
Angrily, you tug open the pouch and pull out a handful of dried leaves. You stuff them into your mouth, chewing rather than sucking to release their bitter taste more quickly. It takes only a second for the potent magic to kick in – a fiery spark that rushes through your body, starting with your head and then tingling along your spine. You sit rigid in the saddle, shivering as it runs its course, punching fresh energy into your weary limbs. Keeping sleep at bay. Keeping the nightmares away.
‘Artemisa Draconis.’ The sharp voice slides under your skin, cutting like a knife, ruining the moment. ‘Dragon leaf, if I’m not mistaken.’
You look back at the Martyr as she nudges her stallion closer, one delicate white hand resting on the reins. Her hood is pulled down low over her face, its inscribed trim sparkling in the gloom. From the shadows beneath, you catch the flash of her perfect white teeth, curved in an arrogant smile. The one she wears only for you.
You answer with a sullen stare, wishing she would just leave you alone. You’re a prince, you remind yourself. Command her to leave you alone.
‘I noticed you haven’t slept,’ she states. ‘Not since we left the capital. That was a week ago.’
‘How observant,’ you mutter beneath your breath. If only she knew the truth. That you haven’t slept – not properly – for nearly five months. Not since the dreams worsened. Now you avoid sleep at all costs. Reading books, taking walks, swallowing the magic . . .
‘What is it that you’re afraid of, my prince?’
The directness of her question startles you. The hood tilts round, far enough for you to glimpse a single amber eye, wide and staring. It reminds you of an owl. Or one of your father’s hunting hawks. ‘Did you ever seek out the church for your malady, my prince? There may have been other tonics that could have helped you.’
Other tonics. You can picture what she has in mind. The thought turns your stomach, bringing bile to the back of your throat. Martyrs are regarded as the holiest of priests. Their blood is sacred, running white with the favour of the One God. Holy blood.
You shake your head vehemently, casting an eye over her wiry limbs, jutting out from the soft fabric of her robes. She could be leeching herself right now, the foul worms growing fat on her white blood – a sweet tonic, made all for you. Snorting with disgust, you dig your heels into your horse’s flanks, urging it ahead. To your annoyance, she keeps pace, falling alongside you once again.
‘It is a shame you never came to see me,’ she states softly, her voice barely lifting over the drumming rain. ‘I would have liked to have the chance to learn more about you, Prince Arran. After what happened to your brother, Lazlo. I’m in no doubt, such a terrible thing would have given anyone bad dreams.’
You flinch. For a moment you are back in the feast hall. Your father lies slouched in the high seat. A broken man, his mind wasted away by senility. A servant pauses to wipe drool from the king’s chin before turning to pour Malden another ale. Malden, your eldest brother – and the king in waiting. He is laughing and joking, relishing the attention he always gets, sharing stories of his innumerable conquests. Reliving the past, before war made him a cripple.
Valeron royalty – what a pretty picture.
Then the soldier arrived, muddied cloak flapping against his boot heels. A man who’d clearly ridden hard, the creases of his face grimed with mud and sweat. Sedge, the king’s attendant, moved quickly to head him off. Words were exchanged. Heated at first, then quickly lowering to subdued whispers. The soldier finally acceded to the attendant’s wishes, following him towards the royal quarters. You watched them both as they passed your table. Molly had her head resting on your shoulder, snoring loudly. You nudged her away, keeping your eyes fixed on the soldier, convinced there was some grave
import to his sudden arrival. He looked over and caught your eye. Just for a second.
That look still haunts you now.
‘The Wiccans killed him,’ you reply bluntly, fighting to keep the tremor from your voice. ‘They didn’t spare anyone.’ You clutch the reins, twisting the leather in your hands. Lazlo had been your closest brother, a year younger than Malden. He had never been your father’s favourite. That was one thing you had in common at least. Lazlo was the wild child, the prankster who never took anything too seriously. His attitude was not befitting of a prince – one who might inherit the throne of Valeron.
It was no surprise to anyone when Lazlo was given Carvel as his protectorate. A backwater town on the edge of the kingdom. Out of sight, out of mind.
But what had been intended as a rebuke turned out to be a blessing. For Lazlo, it was the perfect escape – a release from the politics of court. Freedom to live out his own life, far away from prying eyes. On his rare visits home he would always seek you out, to share stories of his grand adventures, to tell you about the wondrous lands that lay outside of Assay, beyond its high stone walls that shut out the world.
Now he was never coming home.
‘The Wiccans will pay for what they did to your brother, Arran.’ The Martyr’s voice drags you back from your thoughts. ‘Their heathen chief, Conall, desires your father’s throne.’ Her words break into a soft chuckle of laughter. You glare at her, wondering how she could find humour in such a thing. ‘Fear not. They are mere savages. Godless and blind, stumbling in the dark.’ Her amber eyes twinkle from the shadows of her cowl. ‘They are no match for the might of the church.’
Her confidence irritates you. The Wiccans are known to be blood-thirsty warriors, wielding dark and forbidden magics. They are even said to have a demon in their ranks. A monster of legend. If they could outwit Lazlo and sack a fortified town, then they were dangerous.
You turn away, not wanting the priest to see your tears. They are for Lazlo, you keep telling yourself. But deep down, you know they are for you. The spoilt prince.
All your life you’ve been a prisoner, locked away for your own protection, longing for a chance to see the world – to escape, just
like Lazlo. But now, sitting in sodden clothing, chilled through to the very bone, you can’t help but crave the warmth of your quarters back home, the familiar smell of tallow and old books, the comfort of a proper goose-feather mattress.
Why me? Of all people, why me?
The request had not come from your father. He was bedridden with another fever. No, it had been Cardinal Rile. ‘A chance to prove yourself, boy,’ he had said. The cardinal always called you boy, even though you were in your seventeenth year. ‘Now is a time for words as well as bravery. A task well suited to you, don’t you agree, boy?’
The very next day you were leaving Assay. There was no fanfare or parade, or crowd of cheering well-wishers. But then, what had you expected? They call you the ghost prince, the one that no one ever sees. Always haunting the palace library, poring over dusty tomes, filling your head with fanciful stories. Always reading because you’re too afraid to sleep.
They want rid of me. Just like Lazlo. Send me off to the edge of the world . . .
Your destination – Lord Salton’s castle. A crumbling military outpost on the Vacherie Delta, its strategic importance long since diminished as borders edged westwards, leaving it to guard stone and dirt and very little else. But now, things have changed. Salton Castle straddles the only pass between the Bale Peaks, a treacherous range of high mountains. And the Wiccans are rumoured to be marching straight for it. By all accounts, the castle is still defensible. But Lord Salton is a coward. He would sooner abandon his charge, taking his household and knights with him, than face down a tribe of savage warriors.
You’ve been tasked to convince him otherwise. To deliver the king’s demand: there is to be no retreat and no surrender. A royal face to sweeten the message.
Salton Castle had to be ready for war.
You brush away the tears, clenching your jaw to stop it trembling. The cardinal was right. You have a duty to perform. It’s time to make your father proud – make everyone proud.
And yet, you can’t shift the nagging feeling that something is wrong.
As your eyes slide along the procession, you find yourself pondering the cardinal’s choice of knights. They had struck you as an odd
selection from the start. Their banner sigils denote minor houses – Palfrey, Hanson, Bolivar and Freeman – not the usual nobles that would be enlisted for a royal mission. You also notice that their armour lacks the polish of a true knight. There are no medals or decorations, no sign that they have courageously served their country. Would the cardinal really entrust the defence of a castle to a bunch of hedge knights, unproven in battle?
Thankfully you still have the king’s guard to rely upon, a veteran regiment of fifteen soldiers led by Captain Tarlow. Ordinarily, he would never leave the king’s side, but the cardinal had insisted. Your safety was now of the utmost importance. You nod and offer the captain a hopeful smile. He scowls back, hawking a gob of spittle into the dirt. The rest of his men share his dour demeanour. No one wants to be babysitting a prince, it seems.
‘This will do.’ Inquisitor Hort raises a gauntleted hand, calling a halt to the procession.
You look around in confusion. The bleak countryside has not changed all day, steep rock banks and tangled trees and a road little more than a muddy stream. This seems an odd place to set up camp, even to your untrained eye.
There are answering grumbles from Ta
‘A new king will come with death for a crown. Cold will be his heart.Cold will be his revenge.’
Blood of Barahar
Unlike ordinary storybooks, DestinyQuest puts you in charge of the action. As you guide your hero through this epic adventure, you will be choosing the dangers that they face, the monsters that they fight and the treasures that they find. Every decision that you make will have an impact on the story and, ultimately, the fate of your hero.
Your choices, your hero
With hundreds of special items to discover in the game, you can completely customise your hero. You can choose their weapons, their armour, their special abilities – even the boots on their feet and the cloak on their back! No two heroes will ever be alike, which means your hero will always be unique to you. And even better, you can take your hero into battle against your friends’ heroes too!
Limitless possibilities, endless adventure
You can play through DestinyQuest multiple times and never have the same adventure twice. With so many options and paths to choose from, the monsters that you encounter, the people that you meet and the loot that you find will be different each time you play. There are numerous hidden secrets to discover, bonus items to collect and unique special abilities to unlock – in fact, every turn of the page could reveal something new for you and your hero.
Discover your destiny . . .
The next few pages will take you through the rules of the game, outlining the hero creation process and the combat and quest system.
Don’t worry, it won’t take long – and then your DestinyQuest adventure can begin!
The hero sheet
Let’s start with one of the most important things in the game – your hero sheet. This is a visual record of your hero’s abilities and equipment. You will be constantly updating this sheet throughout the game, as you train new abilities and find better armour and weapons for your hero. (Note: The hero sheet is also available as a free download from www.destiny-quest.com.)
Attributes
Every hero has five key attributes that determine their strengths and weaknesses. These are speed, brawn, magic, armour and health. The goal of DestinyQuest is to advance your hero from an inexperienced novice into a powerful champion – someone who can stand up to the biggest and baddest of foes and triumph!
To achieve this, you will need to complete the many quests throughout the lands of Valeron. These quests will reward you with new skills and equipment, such as weapons and armour. These will boost your hero’s attributes and give you a better chance of survival when taking on tougher enemies.
The five attributes are:
Starting attributes
Every hero begins their adventures with a zero score for brawn, magic, speed and armour. These attributes will be boosted throughout the course of your adventures. All starting heroes begin with 30 health.
Equipment boxes
The hero sheet displays a number of important boxes. These boxes each represent a location on your hero where they can equip an item. Whenever your hero comes across a new item in the game, you will be told which box or boxes on the sheet you can place it in. You can only have one item equipped in each box.
Backpack
Your hero also has a backpack that can hold five single items. On your travels you will come across many backpack items, including useful potions and quest items. Each backpack item you come across takes up one space in your backpack – even if you have multiple versions of the same type of item (for example, health potions).
Special abilities
The special abilities box, on the right of your sheet, is where you can record notes on your hero’s special abilities. Every hero has two special abilities, which they learn when they train a career. Items of equipment can also grant special abilities for your hero. All special abilities are explained in the glossary at the back of the book.
Paths and careers
Your hero starts their adventure as an untrained novice, with no remarkable skills or abilities. Once your hero has gained some experience, however, three paths will become available to you – the path of the warrior, the rogue and the mage. Your hero can only choose one of these paths, and once that decision is made, it can’t be changed – so choose wisely. The chosen path will determine the careers and abilities that your hero can learn throughout their adventures.
Your hero’s path and current career should always be recorded at the top of your hero sheet, and its special abilities should be recorded in the special abilities box on the right of your sheet. A hero can only be trained in one career at a time, but you can swap their career for another one, providing you have found the relevant trainer or reward item. When your hero trains a new career, all abilities and bonuses from the old career are lost.
Gold
The main currency in Valeron is the gold crown. These can be used to purchase potions and other special items whenever you visit a town, village or camp. More gold can be discovered by killing monsters and completing quests.
Quests and monsters
The kingdom of Valeron is a dangerous place, full of ferocious monsters, wild beasts and deadly magical forces . . . bad news for some people perhaps, but for a would-be adventurer it means plenty of paid work! By vanquishing foes and completing quests, your hero will grow stronger and more powerful, allowing you to take on tougher challenges and discover even greater rewards.
The maps
The story is divided into two chapters – known as ‘Acts’. Each Act has a map, which shows you the locations of all the different quests that your hero can take part in. To select a quest you simply turn to the corresponding numbered entry in the book and read on from there, returning to the map when you have finished.
Choosing quests
Each map will provide you with a number of different quests. Some quests are harder than others. A simple colour-coded system ranks the quests in order of difficulty:
Quests can be done in any order you wish – although note that it is wiser to complete the easier quests (green and orange) before you attempt the harder ones (blue and red). Once a quest has been completed, it cannot be revisited.
Legendary monsters
On each map you will also see some spider symbols. These represent ‘legendary monsters’: opponents that are tougher than your average foe. Only the bravest of heroes, who are confident in their abilities and have good gear from their questing, should seek out and battle these mighty opponents.
Boss monsters
Each Act of the story has a final boss monster that must be defeated before you can advance the story to the next Act. These boss monsters are represented by the skull symbol on the map.
It goes without saying that these final bosses are no pushovers and should only be attempted once you have fully explored each map and completed most of the quests.
Towns, villages and camps
Every Act of the story has its own town, village or camp, which your hero can visit anytime between quests. They are represented on the map by the building icon. Simply turn to the corresponding page entry whenever you wish to visit. These locations can provide your hero with items to purchase, additional quests, hints and tips and even some career trainers.
It is always a good idea to visit these areas first, whenever you start a new map. The inns and taverns can be a great source of rumour and information regarding the challenges ahead.
Upgrading equipment
The primary goal of DestinyQuest is to equip your hero with better weapons, armour and equipment. These will boost your hero’s attributes such as brawn and magic, and help them to survive longer in battle.
At certain times in the story you will be offered a choice of rewards for your hero. Usually this will be the result of killing a monster or completing a quest, but there are also many other ways of gaining rewards – some easier to find than others.
When you are offered a choice of rewards, you will be told how many items you may pick from the selection. It is up to you to decide which reward/s will be best for your hero. These rewards, such as rings, pieces of armour, weapons and necklaces, will commonly give boosts to certain attributes. Select your rewards wisely to boost the attributes that are the most essential for your hero.
When you have chosen your reward, you write its name and details in the corresponding box on your hero sheet. Make sure to update any attributes that are affected by the new reward. Remember, it is your decision what rewards you take. You can always ignore items if they don’t interest you.
Replacing equipment
Your hero can only carry one item in each box. When you choose a reward and your hero already has an item in the corresponding box, the new item replaces the old one – and the old item is destroyed. When you destroy the old item, all attribute bonuses and abilities that it provided are lost, to be replaced by those from the new item.
Combat
Valeron can be a wild and dangerous place. Most of the creatures you encounter will be hostile and it will be up to you (and your hero!) to battle and defeat these monsters, to emerge victorious.
When you enter into combat, you will be given your opponent’s attributes. These are usually speed, brawn (or magic), armour and health. Some may also have special abilities that you will need to take note of.
The combat sequence
Combat consists of a number of combat rounds. In each round of combat you roll dice to determine who hits who and who takes damage. (Note: A die is considered to be a standard 6-sided die.) Once damage
has been applied, a new combat round starts. Combat continues until either your hero or their opponent is defeated.
In each combat round:
Example of combat
Sir Hugo has awoken a slumbering serpent and must now defend himself against its venomous attacks.
Special abilities
Combat round one
Combat round two
Combat then moves to the next round, continuing until one combatant’s health is reduced to zero.
Restoring health and attributes
Once you have defeated an enemy, your hero’s health and any other attributes that have been affected by special attacks or abilities are immediately restored back to their normal values (unless otherwise stated in the text). In the above example, once Sir Hugo has defeated the serpent, he can return his health back to 30 and continue his adventures.
Fighting multiple opponents
In some combats you will be fighting more than one opponent. When faced with multiple opponents, combat follows the same rules as for single combat – the only difference is that, at the start of each combat round, you must choose which opponent you will be attacking. You must then roll against their speed score. If you win the round, you must direct your damage against your chosen opponent (or multiple opponents if you have an ability that lets you do so). If you lose the round, your chosen opponent strikes against you as normal. You must defeat all your opponents to win the combat..
Using special abilities in combat
As your hero progresses through the story, they will discover many special abilities that they can use in combat. All abilities are explained in the glossary at the back of the book.
There are five types of special ability. These are: speed (sp), combat (co), modifier (mo), passive (pa) and death move (dm) abilities.
Damage score and damage dice
Some special abilities will refer to a damage score and others will refer to rolling damage dice. A damage score is when your hero rolls one
die and adds their brawn or magic to the total (as in the previous combat example). This is the most common means of applying damage to your opponent. Some abilities allow you to roll damage dice instead. Damage dice are simply dice that are rolled for damage, but you do not add your brawn or magic score to the total. For example, the special ability cleave allows you to inflict 1 damage die to all your opponents, ignoring armour. You would simply roll 1 die and then deduct the result from each of your opponents’ health. You do not add your brawn or magic to this total.
Using backpack items in combat
The outcome of many a combat can be decided by the clever use of backpack items, such as potions and elixirs. From restoring lost health to boosting your speed, never underestimate how useful these items can be in turning the tide of battle. However, you can only use one backpack item per combat round so choose wisely! Also note that every useable backpack item has a number of charges. Once these have been used up, they are gone forever.
Runes, glyphs, dyes and other special items
During your adventures, you will come across a number of special items that allow you to add attribute bonuses or additional abilities to the equipment you are already wearing. These items cannot be stored in your backpack and must be used immediately when they are found, to add their relevant attribute/ability to a chosen item. Each item of equipment can hold up to three of these special bonuses.
Death is not the end
When your hero dies, their adventure isn’t over. Simply make a note of the entry number where you died and then return to the quest map. Your health is immediately restored back to full, however any consumable items that were used in the combat (such as potions and elixirs) are gone forever!
You can return to the entry number where you died anytime you wish. If you are having difficulty with a particular combat, then try a different quest, or purchase some helpful potions or items from a local vendor.
NOTE: In some quests, when your hero is defeated, there are special rules to follow. You will be given an entry number to turn to, where you can read on to see what happens to your hero.
Taking challenge tests
Occasionally, during your travels, you will be asked to take a challenge by testing one of your attributes (such as speed or brawn). Each challenge is given a number. For example:
To take a challenge, simply roll 2 dice and add your hero’s attribute score to the result. If the total is the same as or higher than the given number, then you have succeeded. For example, if Sir Hugo has a speed of 4 and rolls a and a , then he would have a total of 9. This means he would have successfully completed the above challenge.
Take your adventures online!
Join the DestinyQuest community at www.destiny-quest.com for the latest information on DestinyQuest books, hints and tips, player forums and exclusive downloadable content (including printable hero sheets, team combat rules and extra bonus quests!).
It’s time to begin
Before you start your adventure, don’t forget to check that your hero sheet has been fully updated. It should display:
Now, turn the page to begin your adventure . . .
Prologue:Blood and Betrayal
It wasn’t like the storybooks at all.
Their pages were filled with tales of high adventure – heroes striving against the odds to win fabled treasures or defeat terrible monsters. Not for them the monotony of travel. No one cared about the wearisome ‘getting there’. They skipped the rain and the damp that would freeze you to the bone, torturing you with its incessant drip, drip, drip. The chafing of the saddle, the stink of the horses. The men reeking of wet leather and sweat. The smell of the road.
You glare up at the heavy grey clouds, hanging over you like a shroud. They appear listless. Bored. Failing to deliver the storm that has been brewing for the past seven days. Instead, they spit a despondent shower of drizzle, determined to make your journey as miserable as possible. In that endeavour, they have succeeded.
As has the company.
You glance sideways at the inquisitor, his powerful war horse making your own look like a cart mule. He is a bull of a man, his thick neck corded with veins, his bulging muscles exaggerated by the sculptured plates of white and gold armour. A holy warrior – one of the king’s finest. An upholder of truth and justice. If this was like the stories, he’d probably be handsome too, cutting a dashing figure as he rode bravely to war.
But this wasn’t like the storybooks at all.
He turns to look at you, his ugly puckered scar crinkling as he furrows his brow. ‘You have another question?’ he growls, his disdain for you evident. You flinch under that look, knowing what he sees. A spoilt prince. Pampered by comfort and luxury. A prince adorned in gaudily-coloured silks and velvet, with court-fashion lace at the collar
and sleeves. No armour for you, save for a padded undershirt. Fine if your assailant had a blunted dagger perhaps, but nothing that was going to stop an arrow or a sword.
So much for royal protection. But then, you’re not the one who’d be doing the fighting.
Not like the knights, rattling behind you in their armoured livery, pennants fluttering in the chill wind. Or the king’s own guard, in their mail coats and tabards, iron helms catching the drab pale light. You glance back at Molly, hunched sullenly in the back of the supply cart. Your maid. The woman who has nursed you since birth – since your mother passed away. It is a bitter truth that you have more in common with a frail old woman than your armed escort.
You wince with shame. They couldn’t even trust you to travel without her. A grown man who needs to be looked after by his nursemaid. ‘Molly-coddled’, some of the knights had teased. They had every right to. In their eyes you were not a man, just a weak and sickly boy. It wasn’t fair.
The inquisitor clears his throat. ‘Well?’
You look back at the giant warrior. A veteran of a hundred campaigns. He has seen war in all its grim and nightmarish glory. He has lived it for real, not second-hand through the pages of a book or a bard’s whimsical yarn.
‘You were at Talanost when it fell, weren’t you?’ It is a question that has been nagging you for days. The books were still being written of the epic battle between the city’s militia and an invading army of demons and monsters. The shadow legion. If anyone was going to tell it as it was, it would be Inquisitor Hort. He was there. On the front lines. ‘Is it true that a Nevarin, one of their own, betrayed the legion?’
The warrior’s jaw sets hard. He regards you with his usual steely glare – the one you can never hold. You lower your eyes back to the saddle, water dripping off the curls of your fringe. ‘I’m sorry. I understand you wouldn’t want to talk about it.’
Your cheeks flush as you surrender yourself once again to the rhythm of the road, the rattle of harness and the clump of hooves in mud. It has been another long day of travel and every muscle knows it, knotting in protest as you lurch and bounce in the saddle. Tiredly, you reach for your pouch, knowing that its stash of medicines will help to ease the suffering. By accident, your hand brushes against your
sword hilt. You instinctively snatch it back, the enchanted steel burning cold against your skin.
Even the stupid sword hates me.
It had been a gift for your thirteenth birthday. A rare and exquisite weapon, its clawed pommel of blue steel clasped around a heart-shaped diamond. Alone, the gemstone is worth thousands – enough to buy a fleet of ships, a royal palace, a whole army . . . But even that pales into insignificance next to the rest of its craftsmanship. The blade is the finest Assay steel, flame-hardened and etched with a hundred lines of scripture. It was the last blade to be inscribed by Abbot Duran before he passed away, each holy letter draining the last of his fragile health. Duran’s Heart, they called it. Some say it was his finest work. His last work. A mighty sword fit for a mighty hero.
Not a spoilt prince.
Angrily, you tug open the pouch and pull out a handful of dried leaves. You stuff them into your mouth, chewing rather than sucking to release their bitter taste more quickly. It takes only a second for the potent magic to kick in – a fiery spark that rushes through your body, starting with your head and then tingling along your spine. You sit rigid in the saddle, shivering as it runs its course, punching fresh energy into your weary limbs. Keeping sleep at bay. Keeping the nightmares away.
‘Artemisa Draconis.’ The sharp voice slides under your skin, cutting like a knife, ruining the moment. ‘Dragon leaf, if I’m not mistaken.’
You look back at the Martyr as she nudges her stallion closer, one delicate white hand resting on the reins. Her hood is pulled down low over her face, its inscribed trim sparkling in the gloom. From the shadows beneath, you catch the flash of her perfect white teeth, curved in an arrogant smile. The one she wears only for you.
You answer with a sullen stare, wishing she would just leave you alone. You’re a prince, you remind yourself. Command her to leave you alone.
‘I noticed you haven’t slept,’ she states. ‘Not since we left the capital. That was a week ago.’
‘How observant,’ you mutter beneath your breath. If only she knew the truth. That you haven’t slept – not properly – for nearly five months. Not since the dreams worsened. Now you avoid sleep at all costs. Reading books, taking walks, swallowing the magic . . .
‘What is it that you’re afraid of, my prince?’
The directness of her question startles you. The hood tilts round, far enough for you to glimpse a single amber eye, wide and staring. It reminds you of an owl. Or one of your father’s hunting hawks. ‘Did you ever seek out the church for your malady, my prince? There may have been other tonics that could have helped you.’
Other tonics. You can picture what she has in mind. The thought turns your stomach, bringing bile to the back of your throat. Martyrs are regarded as the holiest of priests. Their blood is sacred, running white with the favour of the One God. Holy blood.
You shake your head vehemently, casting an eye over her wiry limbs, jutting out from the soft fabric of her robes. She could be leeching herself right now, the foul worms growing fat on her white blood – a sweet tonic, made all for you. Snorting with disgust, you dig your heels into your horse’s flanks, urging it ahead. To your annoyance, she keeps pace, falling alongside you once again.
‘It is a shame you never came to see me,’ she states softly, her voice barely lifting over the drumming rain. ‘I would have liked to have the chance to learn more about you, Prince Arran. After what happened to your brother, Lazlo. I’m in no doubt, such a terrible thing would have given anyone bad dreams.’
You flinch. For a moment you are back in the feast hall. Your father lies slouched in the high seat. A broken man, his mind wasted away by senility. A servant pauses to wipe drool from the king’s chin before turning to pour Malden another ale. Malden, your eldest brother – and the king in waiting. He is laughing and joking, relishing the attention he always gets, sharing stories of his innumerable conquests. Reliving the past, before war made him a cripple.
Valeron royalty – what a pretty picture.
Then the soldier arrived, muddied cloak flapping against his boot heels. A man who’d clearly ridden hard, the creases of his face grimed with mud and sweat. Sedge, the king’s attendant, moved quickly to head him off. Words were exchanged. Heated at first, then quickly lowering to subdued whispers. The soldier finally acceded to the attendant’s wishes, following him towards the royal quarters. You watched them both as they passed your table. Molly had her head resting on your shoulder, snoring loudly. You nudged her away, keeping your eyes fixed on the soldier, convinced there was some grave
import to his sudden arrival. He looked over and caught your eye. Just for a second.
That look still haunts you now.
‘The Wiccans killed him,’ you reply bluntly, fighting to keep the tremor from your voice. ‘They didn’t spare anyone.’ You clutch the reins, twisting the leather in your hands. Lazlo had been your closest brother, a year younger than Malden. He had never been your father’s favourite. That was one thing you had in common at least. Lazlo was the wild child, the prankster who never took anything too seriously. His attitude was not befitting of a prince – one who might inherit the throne of Valeron.
It was no surprise to anyone when Lazlo was given Carvel as his protectorate. A backwater town on the edge of the kingdom. Out of sight, out of mind.
But what had been intended as a rebuke turned out to be a blessing. For Lazlo, it was the perfect escape – a release from the politics of court. Freedom to live out his own life, far away from prying eyes. On his rare visits home he would always seek you out, to share stories of his grand adventures, to tell you about the wondrous lands that lay outside of Assay, beyond its high stone walls that shut out the world.
Now he was never coming home.
‘The Wiccans will pay for what they did to your brother, Arran.’ The Martyr’s voice drags you back from your thoughts. ‘Their heathen chief, Conall, desires your father’s throne.’ Her words break into a soft chuckle of laughter. You glare at her, wondering how she could find humour in such a thing. ‘Fear not. They are mere savages. Godless and blind, stumbling in the dark.’ Her amber eyes twinkle from the shadows of her cowl. ‘They are no match for the might of the church.’
Her confidence irritates you. The Wiccans are known to be blood-thirsty warriors, wielding dark and forbidden magics. They are even said to have a demon in their ranks. A monster of legend. If they could outwit Lazlo and sack a fortified town, then they were dangerous.
You turn away, not wanting the priest to see your tears. They are for Lazlo, you keep telling yourself. But deep down, you know they are for you. The spoilt prince.
All your life you’ve been a prisoner, locked away for your own protection, longing for a chance to see the world – to escape, just
like Lazlo. But now, sitting in sodden clothing, chilled through to the very bone, you can’t help but crave the warmth of your quarters back home, the familiar smell of tallow and old books, the comfort of a proper goose-feather mattress.
Why me? Of all people, why me?
The request had not come from your father. He was bedridden with another fever. No, it had been Cardinal Rile. ‘A chance to prove yourself, boy,’ he had said. The cardinal always called you boy, even though you were in your seventeenth year. ‘Now is a time for words as well as bravery. A task well suited to you, don’t you agree, boy?’
The very next day you were leaving Assay. There was no fanfare or parade, or crowd of cheering well-wishers. But then, what had you expected? They call you the ghost prince, the one that no one ever sees. Always haunting the palace library, poring over dusty tomes, filling your head with fanciful stories. Always reading because you’re too afraid to sleep.
They want rid of me. Just like Lazlo. Send me off to the edge of the world . . .
Your destination – Lord Salton’s castle. A crumbling military outpost on the Vacherie Delta, its strategic importance long since diminished as borders edged westwards, leaving it to guard stone and dirt and very little else. But now, things have changed. Salton Castle straddles the only pass between the Bale Peaks, a treacherous range of high mountains. And the Wiccans are rumoured to be marching straight for it. By all accounts, the castle is still defensible. But Lord Salton is a coward. He would sooner abandon his charge, taking his household and knights with him, than face down a tribe of savage warriors.
You’ve been tasked to convince him otherwise. To deliver the king’s demand: there is to be no retreat and no surrender. A royal face to sweeten the message.
Salton Castle had to be ready for war.
You brush away the tears, clenching your jaw to stop it trembling. The cardinal was right. You have a duty to perform. It’s time to make your father proud – make everyone proud.
And yet, you can’t shift the nagging feeling that something is wrong.
As your eyes slide along the procession, you find yourself pondering the cardinal’s choice of knights. They had struck you as an odd
selection from the start. Their banner sigils denote minor houses – Palfrey, Hanson, Bolivar and Freeman – not the usual nobles that would be enlisted for a royal mission. You also notice that their armour lacks the polish of a true knight. There are no medals or decorations, no sign that they have courageously served their country. Would the cardinal really entrust the defence of a castle to a bunch of hedge knights, unproven in battle?
Thankfully you still have the king’s guard to rely upon, a veteran regiment of fifteen soldiers led by Captain Tarlow. Ordinarily, he would never leave the king’s side, but the cardinal had insisted. Your safety was now of the utmost importance. You nod and offer the captain a hopeful smile. He scowls back, hawking a gob of spittle into the dirt. The rest of his men share his dour demeanour. No one wants to be babysitting a prince, it seems.
‘This will do.’ Inquisitor Hort raises a gauntleted hand, calling a halt to the procession.
You look around in confusion. The bleak countryside has not changed all day, steep rock banks and tangled trees and a road little more than a muddy stream. This seems an odd place to set up camp, even to your untrained eye.
There are answering grumbles from Ta
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The Eye of Winter's Fury
Michael J. Ward
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